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Fight Amplats job cuts, urges body

Mar 18 2013 20:18
Sapa

Amplats announced in January that, as a result of proposed changes to the business, up to 14 000 jobs could be affected, 13 000 of which would be in the Rustenburg area. (File, AP)

Johannesburg - Anglo Platinum (Amplats) [JSE:AMS] workers must fight their planned retrenchment, the Democratic Left Front said on Monday.

"The DLF fully supports the decision of all Amplats workers to resist, fight and stop the retrenchments," said spokesperson Mazibuko Jara.

He said workers' representatives briefed the national steering committee of the DFL at the weekend about a decision to resist the retrenchments.

The Democratic Left Front was formed in Johannesburg in January 2011, by social movements as a non-sectarian and non-authoritarian, anti-capitalist front in South Africa.

"The DLF calls on government to support worker resistance to the retrenchments. The DLF calls on government to use its power to ensure that not a single job is lost at Amplats," said Jara.

Amplats announced in January that, as a result of proposed changes to the business, up to 14 000 jobs could be affected, 13 000 of which would be in the Rustenburg area.

Jara said the statutory 90-day consultation and negotiation process was due to end on April 15.

"After this date, the Labour Relations Act provides for another two months until June 15 before the retrenchments can start."

He said the retrenchments were unnecessary and a deliberate attack on workers' demands for a living wage.

"The Amplats retrenchments must be resisted and stopped with all the necessary worker action, political action and solidarity across the length and breadth of the country and internationally."

In September, Amplats workers went on a wildcat strike demanding to be paid a minimum of R16 000 a month.

The strike ended in November when the workers accepted an offer of a once-off allowance of R4 500, consisting of a R2 000 loyalty or hardship allowance and a R2 500 safe start-up allowance to be paid two weeks after employees had returned to work and commenced actual work.

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